Franz David Rieman was my great-great-grandfather. He was born on March 29, 1833, in Wallenhorst, Germany and he immigrated to the United States at age 14. He made the journey to the U.S. with his sister Elizabeth (Lisette) Rieman, who herself was only 17 years old at the time. Together they sailed from the port of Bremen, Germany on September 7, 1847 bound for New York City. After arriving in New York City, Franz and Lisette traveled to upstate New York, following in the footsteps of other Rieman relatives who had previously settled in the city of Buffalo, New York.

In the year 1855, at the age of 22 and after living in the U.S. for 8 years, Franz David became a U.S. citizen. One year later, in 1856, he got married. He and his wife, Elizabeth Ernst (born September 26, 1833, in Battenberg, Germany), had met in the church choir and they were married on November 20th 1856. At the time of their marriage, they were both 23 years of age. The ceremony was held at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church located on Broadway Avenue in Buffalo. Franz and Elizabeth's first place of residence after their marriage was on Eagle Street in Buffalo; in the same neighborhood as other relatives from Hanover, Germany. Franz and Elizabeth were the parents of ten children: Frank, Martin, Agnes, Mary, David, Henry, Elizabeth, Joseph, Katherine and Anna. Their eldest child, Frank J. Rieman (born 1858), was the father of the New Jersey branch of the Rieman family.

Franz started his career in Buffalo as a blacksmith, later advancing to the position of wheelwright. After serving in this capacity for several years, he became a partner in the Rieman-Selbert Carriage Factory with his partner and brother-in-law, Frank Selbert (Frank Selbert was married to Franz’s sister Lisette). In 1870, Franz then established his own carriage manufacturing factory. This was The F. Rieman Carriage Factory located at 71 South Division Street, Buffalo. He ran the factory for 16 years and in 1886 he turned over the ownership of the business to his sons: Frank J. Rieman and David F. Rieman. The business prospered for almost 3 decades when, in 1896, a fire destroyed the factory and it was not rebuilt.

In 1868, two years prior to starting his carriage business, Franz had a three story Victorian-style house built for his family on North Division Street in Buffalo. The house was occupied by his descendants until 1953, the year of daughter Katherine Rieman's death. Katherine was their second youngest child and the last survivor of that generation.

The five sons of Franz and Elizabeth all attended Canisius Prep High School in Buffalo. Several also attended Canisius College. Son, Frank J. Rieman, was a graduate of the College class of 1880. The five daughters of Franz and Elizabeth were educated at Sacred Heart Academy on Washington Street in downtown Buffalo. One of the daughters, Mary Rieman-Holzor died shortly after giving birth to her own daughter, Mabel. Mabel was then adopted by her grandparents, Franz and Elizabeth.

The following is information on some of the other children of Franz and Elizabeth: Agnes chose a career as a school teacher. Martin died at the age of 21. David was partner in ownership of the carriage factory with his older brother Frank. Henry was a manager at the factory. Elizabeth lived at home until her marriage. Joseph was a bookkeeper for the carriage business. Katherine was a German-English translator. The youngest, Anna, did clerical work for the family business. Granddaughter Mabel became a school teacher.

After rearing 10 children and the death of his wife Elizabeth in 1887, Franz David Rieman married again in 1890. At the time of this marriage he was 57 years old and his second wife, Mary, was 27. It was also at this time that he started going by the name David F. Rieman. He and Mary were the parents of five children: Agatha, Tressa, Mattias, Leo and Appalonia.

Franz David Rieman died on May 28, 1903 at the age of 70. He is buried near Buffalo at the United German & French Cemetery in Cheektowaga, New York.

The above photo is of the Rieman home on North Division Street. The photo was taken while family members were in Buffalo attending Katherine (Kate) Rieman's funeral in August 1953. Kate was the last of Frank J. Rieman's siblings to pass away. From left to right in the photo: Vincent Rieman, Clarence Rieman Sr., Joan Rieman (wife of C.J. Rieman). Following is a description of the house provided by Joan Rieman:

The Rieman home on North Division Street in Buffalo was a three-story building exemplifying the Victorian style of architecture popular at the time. A wrought-iron railing surrounded the house and there was a driveway leading to a carriage house in the back. The house is no longer there, as it was demolished, along with the rest of the block in the 1980s. Adjourning the entry hall, the parlor was furnished in the Victorian Style, including furniture and accessories. Windows were covered with lace curtains and velvet draperies. Valances over the windows were made of cherry wood and in the center of each valance a carved letter 'R' was gilded in gold. The dining room behind the parlor encompassed the width of the house. To the right corner of the room a small enclosed room was designated the 'Birthing Room'. To the left of the dining room a small foyer contained a butler's pantry and servants' staircase to the second and third floors. The kitchen was located behind the foyer and could be accessed by a separate entrance from the rear yard. The second floor consisted of a large Master Bedroom, three additional bedrooms and the bathroom. A basement contained a brick-baker's oven, built to supply the family with baked goods. Clarence Rieman Sr (who lived in the house as a young boy, prior to the family moving to New Jersey) recalled the servants baking 40 loaves of bread on Saturdays and accompanying his grandfather, Franz, in a horse-drawn carriage to distribute the bread to family members in Buffalo.

Special thanks to C.J. Rieman and his wife, Joan, for the descriptions of the Buffalo house and factory that appear in these pages. Whenever I was in Colorado, I would visit C.J. and Joan at their home in Colorado Springs and it was a pleasure spending time with them.

C.J. was the grandson of Frank J. Rieman and the son of Clarence Rieman. He grew up in Jersey City, NJ and he attended Canisius College in Buffalo prior to serving in WWII. While attending Canisius, he got to know many of the Rieman family members still living there. The following text is from his obituary:

C. J. Rieman passed away July 11, 2009. He was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on July 10, 1917. A retired Business man and 39 year resident of Colorado Springs, he is survived by wife of 61 years: Joan, a daughter Arlette (Sheldon) Crane; three granddaughters: Barbara (Greg) Cannon, Shaunna Crane and Suzanne Crane, and three great grandchildren: Michael, Linda and Cason. A sister, Marie Sheeler. He was predeceased by a son James, a grandson (Don Crane), a brother Frank and his parents. C. J. attended Canisius College, Buffalo New York, with a degree in Science, and McAllister School of Mortuary Science, New York City. He was a P-38 Fighter Pilot in the Pacific during World War II (New Guinea) and served a total of 17 and a half years. He is a member of the 475th Fighter Group Association and the Pilot Class of 43-D Association.